A double dose of Dickens, severely “adapted” in this graphic format but featuring illustrations that thicken the period atmosphere.
Though both paraphrased stories, originally published in French, show signs of careless translation in occasional typos and misquoted lyrics, it’s their plots that have taken the most punishment. Squiring the shaken Scrooge through time, Marley’s ghost is the only specter in “A Christmas Carol,” and in the lesser-known “A Remembrance of Mugby,” a kind drifter looking for a home adopts a child who is not, in the original, either fatherless or abandoned. The tales are nonetheless still coherent and bear both their sentiment and their lessons well. In Meyrand’s small sequential panels, the Victorian settings are evoked in fine but clear details of dress and décor. The artist ably captures mood with lighting that ranges from deep shadows to rich golden tones and sensitively depicts Scrooge’s remorse and inner transformation, as well as the fundamental decency of the unnamed protagonist of the other episode, in expertly drawn body language and changes of expression.
Adequate alternatives to the sometimes tediously wordy originals, though the lack of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come seems a major loss. (biographical sketch) (Graphic classic. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59707-346-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Papercutz
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2012
Categories: GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS
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Will extragalactic rats eat the moon?
Can a cybernetic toenail clipper find a worthy purpose in the vast universe? Will the first feline astronaut ever get a slice of pizza? Read on. Reworked from the Live Cartoon series of homespun video shorts released on Instagram in 2020 but retaining that “we’re making this up as we go” quality, the episodic tale begins with the electrifying discovery that our moon is being nibbled away. Off blast one strong, silent, furry hero—“Meow”—and a stowaway robot to our nearest celestial neighbor to hook up with the imperious Queen of the Moon and head toward the dark side, past challenges from pirates on the Sea of Tranquility and a sphinx with a riddle (“It weighs a ton, but floats on air. / It’s bald but has a lot of hair.” The answer? “Meow”). They endure multiple close but frustratingly glancing encounters with pizza and finally deliver the malign, multiheaded Rat King and its toothy armies to a suitable fate. Cue the massive pizza party! Aside from one pirate captain and a general back on Earth, the human and humanoid cast in Harris’ loosely drawn cartoon panels, from the appropriately moon-faced queen on, is light skinned. Merch, music, and the original episodes are available on an associated website.
Epic lunacy. (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-308408-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
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After moving to a new city, a girl attends a wilderness camp to help her make new friends.
When astronomy-obsessed 9-year-old Vega’s dad Wes gets a new job, the family moves from Portland to Seattle. Vega is not happy about this change and doesn’t want to leave her best friend behind, worrying they will grow apart. Vega’s dad Javi thinks making new friends will help her adjust, so he signs her up for Camp Very Best Friend, which is designed to help introverted local children build new friendships. Vega is not exactly eager to go but makes a deal with Wes, agreeing to try out camp as long as he tries to make a new friend too. It quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary outdoor adventure, and Vega and her fellow campers try to figure out what is really going on. The story smoothly incorporates STEM facts with insets on the page to define and highlight terms or tools. An unexpected twist toward the end of this fast-paced adventure that reveals the truth behind the camp will surprise readers. The clean, bright artwork is enhanced by panels of varying shapes and clear, easy-to-follow speech bubbles. Race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are not explicitly addressed; characters’ names and physical appearances indicate a broadly diverse cast starting with brown-skinned Vega and her two dads.
A classic story of outsiders making friends—with a little something more. (Graphic fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: June 29, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5566-5
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
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